Barriers Burned Away Read online

  CHAPTER XXIII

  THE REVELATION

  The toilets of the young ladies were nearly completed, but, withoutwaiting to add another touch, all hastened to the place where they hadleft Dennis. One of the colorless young ladies appeared upon the scenewith a shawl around her bare shoulders, and a great deal of color onone cheek, and none on the other as yet; but this slight discrepancywas unnoted in the dire calamity they feared.

  Many were the exclamations and lamentations.

  "Why, the people will be here in fifteen minutes," said Miss Winthrop,in a nervous tremor.

  "Did he leave no word?" asked Miss Brown of the servants.

  "No word, mum," was the dismal echo.

  "What shall we do?" they said, looking at one another with blank faces;but none could answer.

  "I do hate such proud, freakish people. There is no managing ordepending on them," said Miss Brown, spitefully.

  Miss Winthrop bit her lips to keep from saying to her hostess whatwould be more true than polite. There was a flash of anger inChristine's dark blue eyes, and she said, coldly: "I imagine that youhave finished the business this time, Miss Brown. But I confess thatI am greatly surprised, for he said I could depend upon him forto-night."

  "So you can," said Dennis, coming in behind them. "I am sorry you havehad this needless alarm. But the fact is, I am a plain, ordinary mortal,and live in a very material way."

  "There was plenty of lunch in the dining-room," said Miss Brown, tartly."You need not have gone out and made all this trouble."

  "Pardon me for slighting your hospitality," said Dennis, with slightemphasis on the word.

  Again significant glances were exchanged. Miss Brown darted a blacklook at Dennis, and left the room.

  "I can assure you, ladies," added he, "that all is ready. I can laymy hand in a moment on whatever is needed. Therefore you need giveyourselves no further anxiety."

  There was a general stampede for the dressing-rooms, but Miss Winthroplingered. When Dennis was alone she went up to him and frankly gaveher hand, saying: "Mr. Fleet, I wish to thank you for your courseto-day. Between Miss Ludolph's unwitting sermon and your brave andunexpected vindication of our faith, I hope to become more deservingof the name of Christian. You are a gentleman, sir, in the truest andbest sense of the word, and as such it will ever be a pleasure towelcome you at my father's house;" and she gave him her card.

  A flush of grateful surprise and pleasure mantled Dennis's face, butbefore he could speak she was gone.

  The audience were soon thronging in. By half-past eight the performerswere all in the back parlor, and there was a brilliant army of actorsand actresses in varied and fanciful costume, many coming to the housedressed for their parts. There were gods and goddesses, shepherds andshepherdesses, angels, crusaders, who would take leave of languishingladies, living statuary, and tableaux of all sorts. Dennis was muchshocked at the manner in which ladies exposed themselves in the nameof art and for the sake of effect. Christine seemed perfectly Greekand pagan in this respect, yet there was that in her manner that forbadea wanton glance. But, as he observed the carriage of the men aroundhim, he was more than satisfied that no plea of art could justify the"style," and felt assured that every pure-minded woman would take thesame view if she realized the truth. Under the name of fashion and artmuch is done in society that would be simply monstrous on ordinaryoccasions.

  The music, as far as possible, was in character with the scenes. Theentertainment went forward with great applause. Every one was radiant;and the subtile, exhilarating spirit of assured success glowed in everyeye, and gave a richer tone and coloring to everything.

  Christine appeared in several and varied characters, and Dennis hadeyes only for her. The others he glanced over critically as the artistin charge, and then dismissed them from his thoughts; but on Christinehis eyes rested in a spell-bound admiration that both amused and pleasedher. She loved power of every kind, and when she read approval in thetrained and critical eye of Dennis Fleet she knew that all the audiencewere applauding.

  But Dennis had little time for musing, so great was the strain uponhim to prevent confusion. His voice excited great surprise and applause,many inquiring vainly who he was. When he and Christine sung togetherthe audience were perfectly carried away, and stormed and applaudedwithout stint. Indeed, it seemed that they could not be satisfied. Thecall was so urgent that several asked Christine to sing again, and shedid so alone. For ten minutes she held the audience perfectly entranced,and no one more so than Dennis. Usually she was too cold in all thatshe did, but now in her excitement she far surpassed herself, and heacknowledged that he had never heard such music before.

  The very soul of song seemed breathed into her, and every nook andcorner of the house appeared to vibrate with melody. Even the servantsin distant rooms said that it seemed that an angel was singing. Aftershe ceased, the audience sat spellbound for a moment, and then followedprolonged thunders of applause, the portly brewer, Mr. Brown himself,leading off again and again.

  "Now let the tenor sing alone," he said, for, though a coarse man, hewas hearty and good-natured.

  The audience emphatically echoed his wish, but Dennis as decidedlyshook his head.

  Then came a cry, "Miss Ludolph and the tenor again"; and the audiencetook it up with a clamor that would not be denied.

  Christine looked inquiringly at Dennis, and he replied in a low tone,"You command me this evening."

  Again she thanked him with her eyes, and from a music stand nearchose a magnificent duet from Mendelssohn, in which he must sing severaldifficult solos.

  "Act your pleasure. I am familiar with it," he said, smiling at theway she had circumvented him in his refusal to sing alone.

  Christine sat down and played her own accompaniment, while Dennis stoodat her side. He determined to do his best and prove that though heswept a store he could also do something else. Many of the strainswere plaintive, and his deep and unconscious feeling for his faircompanion in song gave to his voice a depth, and at times a pathos,that both thrilled and _touched_ the heart, and there were not a few weteyes in the audience. Unconsciously to himself and all around, he wassinging his love; and even Christine, though much preoccupied with herpart, wondered at the effect upon herself, and recognized the deepimpression made upon the audience.

  As the last notes died away the sliding-doors were closed.

  Dennis had achieved a greater success than Christine, because, singingfrom the heart, he had touched the heart. His applause could be readin moist eyes and expressive faces rather than in noisy hands. She sawand understood the result. A sad, disappointed look came into her face,and she said in a low, plaintive tone, as if it were wrung from her:"There must be something wrong about me. I fear I shall never reachtrue art. I can only win admiration, never touch the heart."

  Dennis was about to speak eagerly, when they were overwhelmed by therush and confusion attendant on the breaking up of the entertainment.Part of the older guests at once left for their homes, and the reststayed for supper. The parlors were to be cleared as soon as possiblefor dancing. Christine was joined by her father, who had sat in theaudience, scarcely believing his eyes, much less his ears. Was thatthe young man who was blacking old Schwartz's boots the other day?

  His daughter was overwhelmed with compliments, but she took them verycoolly and quietly, for her heart was full of bitterness. That whichher ambitious spirit most desired she could not reach, and to thedegree that she loved art was her disappointment keen. She almostenvied poor Dennis, but she knew not the secret of his success; nordid he, either, in truth. His old manner returned, and he busied himselfin rapidly packing up everything that he had brought. Mr. Ludolph, whohad received a brief explanation from Christine, came and said, kindly,"Why, Fleet, you have blossomed out strongly to-day."

  "Indeed, sir, I think I have never had a more rigorous pruning," wasthe reply.

  When the story had been told Mr. Ludolph in full, he understood theremark. Christine was waiting for th
e crowd to disperse somewhat, inorder to speak to Dennis also, for her sense of justice and her genuineadmiration impelled her to warm and sincere acknowledgment. But atthat moment Mr. Mellen came in, exclaiming, "Miss Ludolph, they areall waiting for you to lead the dance, for to you is given this honorby acclamation, and I plead your promise to be my partner"; and hecarried her off, she meaning to return as soon as possible, andsupposing Dennis would remain.

  A moment after, light, airy music was heard in the front parlor,followed by the rhythmical cadence of light feet and the rustle ofsilks like a breeze through a forest.

  For some reason as she went away Dennis's heart sank within him.Reaction followed the strong excitements of the day, and a strangesense of weariness and despondency crept over him. The gay music inthe other room seemed plaintive and far away, and the tripping feetsounded like the patter of rain on autumn leaves. The very lightsappeared to burn dimmer, and the color to fade out of his life.Mechanically he packed up the few remaining articles, to be called forin the morning, and then leaned heavily against a pillar, intendingto rest a moment before going out into the night alone.

  Some one pushed back the sliding-door a little and passed into theroom. Through the opening he caught a glimpse of the gay scenewithin. Suddenly Christine appeared floating lightly through the waltzin her gauzy drapery, as if in a white, misty cloud. Through the narrowopening she seemed a radiant, living portrait. But her partner whirled herout of the line of vision. Thus in the mazes of the dance she keptappearing and disappearing, flashing in sight one moment, leaving a blankin the crowded room the next.

  "So it will ever be, I suppose," he said to himself, bitterly; "chanceand stolen glimpses my only privilege."

  Again she appeared, smiling archly on the man whose arm clasped herwaist.

  A frown black as night gathered on Dennis's brow; then a sudden palloroverspread his face to his very lips. The revelation had come! Thenfor the first time he knew--knew it as if written in letters of firebefore him--that he loved Christine Ludolph.

  At first the knowledge stunned and bewildered him, and his mind wasa confused blur; then as she appeared again, smiling upon and in theembrace of another man, a sharp sword seemed to pierce his heart.

  Dennis was no faint shadow of a man who had frittered away in numberlessflirtations what little heart he originally had. He belonged to themale species, with something of the pristine vigor of the first man,who said of the one woman of all the world, "This is now bone of mybones, and flesh of my flesh"; and one whom he had first seen but afew short months since now seemed to belong to him by the highest anddivinest right. But could he ever claim his own?

  In his morbid, wearied state, there seemed a "great gulf fixed" betweenthem. For a moment he fairly felt faint and sick, as if he had receiveda wound. He was startled by hearing Miss Winthrop say at his side:"Mr. Fleet, you will not leave yet. I have many friends wishing anintroduction to you. What is the matter? You look as if you were ill."

  At her voice he flushed painfully. He was so vividly conscious of hislove himself that he felt that every one else must be able to see it,and darkness and solitude now seemed a refuge. Recovering himself bya great effort he said, "Pardon me, I do--I am not well--nothing isthe matter--a little rest and I shall be myself again."

  "No wonder. You have been taxed every way beyond mortal endurance, andI think that it is a shame the way you have been treated. Pray do notjudge Chicago society altogether by what you have seen here. Let meget you some refreshment, and then I will acquaint you with some peoplewho can recognize a gentleman when they meet him."

  "No, Miss Winthrop," said Dennis, courteously but firmly; "you are notin your own home, and by staying I should not be accepting yourhospitality. I appreciate your kindness deeply, and thank your friendswho have expressed a willingness to make my acquaintance. It would notbe right to stay longer in this house than is necessary. I do not feelresentful. I have no room in my memory for Miss Brown and her actions,but at the same time self-respect requires that I go at once;" and hetook his hat.

  "I am not surprised that you feel as you do. But give me the pleasureof welcoming you at my own home as soon as possible," she said, andgave her hand to him in parting.

  Dennis took it respectfully and bowed low, saying, "I shall notwillingly deny myself so great a pleasure." and was gone.

  Christine came in a few moments later, and found only servants clearingthe room for dancing.

  "Where is Mr. Fleet?" she asked.

  "Gone, mum."

  "Yes," said Miss Winthrop, coming in at the same time; "he has gonenow in very truth; and I don't think the power exists that could leadhim to darken these doors again. I doubt if I ever come myself. I neversaw a clearer instance of--of--well--_shoddy_."

  "It seems to me that you Christians are as proud as any of us."

  "Isn't there a difference between pride and self-respect? I am satisfiedthat if Miss Brown were in trouble, or poor, Mr. Fleet would be thefirst to help her. Oh, Christine, we have treated him shamefully!"

  "You seem to take a wonderful interest in this unknown knight in rustyarmor." (Dennis's dress was decidedly threadbare.)

  "I do," said the impulsive girl, frankly, "because he is wonderfullyinteresting. What man of all the large audience present to-night couldhave acted the part he did? I am satisfied that that man is by birthand education a gentleman. Are you ready, with your aristocraticnotions, to recognize chiefly Miss Brown's title to position? Whatcould her coat-of-arms be but the dollar symbol and the beer-barrel?"

  "Come, remember she is our hostess."

  "You are right; I should not speak so here; but my indignation getsthe better of me."

  "Would you invite him to your house?"

  "Certainly. I have asked him; and what is more, he has promised tocome. Supposing that he is poor, are not many of your noblemen as pooras poverty? My parlors shall be haunted only by men of ability andcharacter."

  "You are not going to shut out this little heathen," said Christine,putting her arm about her friend.

  "Never!" said Miss Winthrop, returning the embrace with double warmth.Then she added, sadly: "You are not an unbeliever from conviction andknowledge, Christine, but from training and association. While I admireand honor your father as a splendid and gifted man, I regret his andyour scepticism more deeply than you can ever know."

  "Well, Susie," said Christine, with a smile, "if they shut out suchas you from your Paradise, I do not wish to go there."

  "If, with my clear knowledge of the conditions of entrance, I _shutmyself out_, I shall have no right to complain," said Miss Winthrop,sadly.

  But the absence of two such belles could not long remain unnoted; and,having been discovered, they were pounced upon by half a dozen younggentlemen, clamorous for the honor of their hands in the "German."

  In spite of herself, Christine was vexed and annoyed. Dennis had seemed,in his obscurity, a nice little bit of personal property, that shecould use and order about as she pleased. He had been so subservientand eager to do her will, that she had never thought of him otherwisethan as her "humble servant." But now her own hand had suddenly givenhim the role of a fine gentleman. Christine was too logical to thinkof continuing to order about a man who could sing Mendelssohn's musicas Dennis had done.

  She congratulated herself that the arrangement of the store was nearlycompleted, and that only one show-room was unfinished.

  "I suppose he will be very dignified when we meet again," she thoughtto herself. "I should not be at all surprised if my impulsive littlefriend Susie loses her heart to him. Well, I suppose she can to anyone she chooses. As for me, rich or poor, stupid or gifted, the menof this land are all alike;" and with a half-sigh she plunged resolutelyinto the gayeties of the evening, as if to escape from herself.